I'm here
by Jynx999
Summary: My take on last weeks Casualty with a little more Ethan taking care of Cal.


**It was such a good episode on Saturday the boys were amazing as always. I can't be the only one however that wanted them to hug and comfort each other more so I have written my take on would could have happened in the lift and also the aftermath of Cal's tri to the pub. Hope to see other people's ideas popping up soon too. J x**

Ethan knew as they both stepped into the lift that his brother was on the verge of breaking down, he knew Cal would find this difficult and emotions were not his forte. He knew that Cal would flip at any moment, he would let everything bubble away inside him until it just exploded. He needed to let it out, somewhere private where no one else could see and no one would get hurt.

As the lift began to move Ethan pushed the emergency stop button causing Cal to look over at him and take a step towards him to restart the lift but Ethan stood firm.

"Ethan what are you doing?" He asked his voice wobbling.

Ethan ignored him and refused to make eye contact as his brother stood close.

"Ethan please…" Cal almost begged, he knew what he was doing.

Unable to hold it in anymore and knowing Ethan wasn't going to budge Cal broke down and sobbed into his hands until he was leaning over resting his elbows on his knees and cried hard.

Ethan stood watching his heart breaking while having to watch the emotional pain his older brother was in.

"It's alright Cal." Ethan spoke quietly and took a step towards his older brother and placing his hand on his shoulder squeezing it in an attempt to comfort him.

Cal stood up straight again after attempting and failing to calm down and hit the back of his head against the wall of the lift before looking at Ethan and shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Cal spoke through his tears.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. None of this is your fault Caleb." Ethan told him forcefully. "Come here." He added holding his arms out.

Cal gripped onto Ethan hugging him tight. Neither of them were ones for hugs but right now they both needed it and Cal knew that this man he was hugging may not be any relation to him at all and that scared him.

"Ok." Ethan spoke as they broke apart and he pressed for the lift to move again.

"Ethan I…" Cal started. He wanted to tell him, to tell him that their Mum wasn't his biological Mum. There were so many possibilities though, maybe she wasn't Ethan's neither, maybe they just aren't brother's at all. The father he hated all his life, maybe this is why he was the way he was. There were too many if's and maybe's that telling Ethan may not be fair.

"What?" Ethan asked after Cal's long pause.

"Nothing." Cal decided.

"Cal, let's…let's go home. Yeah." Ethan suggested. "We can… we can drink tequila. Obviously not off semi-naked women." He continued as the lift doors opened. "We can… we can if you want. It's…"

Cal looked at him, he was quite tense looking and his hair a mess. "I need to be on my own." He told his brother.

Ethan watched him go, he was worried. He knew what Cal was like and he knew that he was struggling with this one.

Back at the flat Ethan had made some pasta in tomato sauce for tea, something simple that could be reheated easily enough for Cal if he ever made it back tonight. He sat at the table with his half full plate and looked at the semi-pink walls of his flat. He couldn't help but chuckle slightly before abruptly bursting into tears.

As much as Ethan had always been aware this could happen from day one it didn't help in the slightest. He hated the world right now for taking away the one thing that he and his brother had bonded so much over that had made him feel like he was part of a family again.

After a while Ethan had calmed down and felt exhausted he tried to call Cal but his call was rejected. He just wanted more space, which was clear. So Ethan lay on the sofa and drifted off to sleep wanting to be there when his brother finally came home.

The early hours came and Ethan stirred slightly before waking up and looking around, not seeing any evidence that Cal had come in made him wonder what had woken him until there was a knock at the door and someone who certainly wasn't Cal calling his name through the letter box.

He got up before making his way to the door and unlocking it opening it to see Max and Lofty stood there with Cal's arms draped over their shoulders unconscious as they took his weight.

"Oh god, come in." Ethan spoke and stood aside as his friend's brought him in and lay him on the sofa.

"Sorry to wake you, he got himself in a right state and got kicked out of the pub so we brought him back." Max explained.

"What happened?" Ethan asked.

"He was with a blonde girl, they had disappeared around the back earlier on. Then all we could hear was him shouting." Lofty told him. "I think he thought she was Taylor."

"He seemed quite confused and angry. But we got him outside and then he just collapsed." Sighed Max.

"His way of coping I'm afraid, thanks for bringing him home. I'll be fine from here." Ethan thanked them gratefully.

"Don't mention it, tell him I hope he feels better soon." Lofty smiled sympathetically and left with Max in tow.

Ethan sighed and looked down at his sleeping brother. He could see the bruising was coming out angrily on his knuckles from earlier in the da and thought confident they weren't broken they still looking painfully swollen. He went and got an ice pack from their freezer wrapping it in a towel before sitting by the side of the sofa and holding it gently against his brothers skin.

Cal stirred after a while. "Ethan…" He mumbled.

"I'm here, you're home now. It's alright." Ethan soothed him. "You've just had too much to drink."

"Hmmm…" Cal groaned. "Can visit toad in the morning."

"Yeah, we will go and see her together. She will need some of the toy's taken for her too." Ethan smiled and rubbed his thumb over the back of Cal's hand as he drifted back off to sleep.

 **Let me know what you think :) J x**


End file.
